Expanded Horizons! The obvious careers in History include teaching in elementary, secondary, or higher education and working as a historian either for the government, a corporation, or a non-profit organization. Alternatives, however, do exist to the more traditional careers. Public History, a very "hot" field, specifically includes jobs in archives, historical societies, museums, and general community organizations. The National Park Service and the Forest Service are the two most common organizations for the public historian. The work of public historians can be seen on the side of the road, at some historic site. We read the signs and learn some piece of History. The public historian may also work for a small town chamber of commerce or historical society where promoting town history means the possibility of tourism. For example, the promotion of a small mission church of magnificent beauty and interest can bring travelers into town, creating capital for shops and eating establishments. Or, a public historian may work as an archivist, helping researcher proceed more quickly with their search. A historian can also enter the world of publishing. Magazines, book publishers, and newspapers all need individuals who can write well and research. A publisher can work as a copy editor, acquisitions editor (those responsible for acquiring new books such as scholarly monographs or fiction), marketing assistant, community editor. An academic press needs a History editor or a newspaper needs an arts and entertainment editor. One may think that a journalism or communications degree would be more appropriate, but historians have the research and writing skills needed for careers in print media. A historian can also work in an online capacity or work for television, theater, or film. The question is: what career best suits your interests and talents? Since there are numerous options, there are also numerous web-sites that are relevant to the History job seeker. For general employment, there is http://new.careerpath.com where numerous newspaper classified and online jobs can be found. There are also relevant sites to higher education including http://www.higheredjobs.com http://chronicle.com http://www.matrix.msu.edu and http://www.indiana.edu/~oah/jobs.html all of which have specific jobs in History. For those interested in elementary through secondary education, sites include http://www.isminc.com (Independent School Maintenance's web-site), http://www.privateschooljobs.com and http://www.edweek.org. Government jobs as historians, writers, and editors and can be found on web-sites such as http://www.usajobs.opm.gov. There are non-profit jobs found at http://www.opportunitynocs.org and publishing opportunities at http://www.bookwire.com http://epclassifieds.com and http://publishing.miningco.com.
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